What If It Was You
by demeter18
Summary: Nate's in the hospital, Haley comes home from being on tour-she may have feelings for Luke. Peyton is still in love with Luke. Brooke has a new man in her life-Trouble looms on the horizon
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Ok, so this is set during Nate's car accident. Brooke and Luke are kinda broken up. Peyton still loves Luke and Haley has come back from tour. Everything else is the same I have messed with the love lives a little and Brooke will be dating a new boy who is a creation from my imagination. Trouble looms and the road back won't be an easy one. This is dedicated to the Mistress of AU-Sheena-hope you like it friend. Chapter 1 Two Hearts Conflicting

Haley came home for Nathan or so that's what she kept telling herself, ever since Lucas had come to New York and wrapped her in a loving embrace, she had seen only his face. His eyes pleading with her to come home, to come back to them, she had never felt more torn in that moment, so she made a decision she came home and she really didn't know who she cared more for-was it her best friend-someone she had known her entire life-or was it her husband a man she had helped shape and change-making him the best version of himself.

She got the call about his accident and her heart plummeted, every single fear that she had pushed aside whilst on tour came hurtling back to the surface and made her pack a bag and come home. It was time to face the music and all the people that she had left behind, Haley dreaded facing Nathan and seeing the hurt in his eyes as he realized she had only come back because of his accident. This was part of why she really hadn't wanted to come to the hospital, everyone would be there silently judging her and questioning her motives, she didn't know how she felt about anything anymore and that scared her more than returning to this uncertainty did. She sighed as she recognised the scruffy blond locks, his hand was gripping the back of his neck and he looked drained. She walked over to him and enveloped him in a tight hug.

'Hales, you're back', his arms wrapped around her and he felt the tension ease from his body, it felt good to have her back, no it felt great to have her safe and in his arms. His stomach was dancing with nerves and he couldn't help but smile, all those emotions he had thought were for his Blondie had been masquerading as just that, he actually felt something for Haley. He didn't know when it started or how it happened, all he knew is that he now looked at her the same way he had once looked at Peyton. It felt natural to see her in this way; they had been through everything together, until she had chosen Nathan and a commitment with him.

Luke knew he would need to tread carefully, Haley was someone's wife, and he was his sister in law-he also needed to know where she was at emotionally. He wasn't going to put himself out there unless she in some way reciprocated his feelings.

She was the pale ghost in the morning light staring back at you, she was the mistake you woke up to every morning, she was the decision you wished you could take back as each day she got a little further away from your heart. She wasn't who she was meant to be, she disappointed you in ways that became the only way you viewed her, she was the burden you carried like a second skin she was the greatest mistake you mistook for your greatest achievement.

Nathan covered his chest where his wedding ring lay and it felt heavy to him, he didn't want to see her face, he didn't want to see her lips curve into a smile he wanted a way out, a release from the choices he had made as a kid thinking he was a man. He wanted the old Nathan back, he didn't want the responsibilities of a marriage that had occurred because he mistakenly believed in the promise of a forever not realizing that his fragile heart wasn't nearly ready enough to commit to this, he knew he needed to see her one last time and close that chapter of his life once and for all. Living without Haley had been hard, but not missing her was becoming second nature, he didn't want what he knew she couldn't give.

Haley reluctantly withdrew from Luke's arms and she saw something in his eyes, she had seen it once before, it was the light that danced at the corners of his irises when he thought of Peyton-it was love and hope. She felt unnerved, she hadn't expected it and she now felt even worse, she was stuck in a marriage that had become a millstone around her neck. Her wedding ring felt like a weight dragging her ever further toward the abyss, she knew she had made a mistake, she felt it in her heart and she knew she needed to talk to Nathan and find a way out of this mess. Haley was as ever torn between two places, stay and heal a broken heart or move on and put it down to a mistake in her youth, Haley hated to fail at anything. This would be her greatest failure and something she couldn't take back no matter how hard she tried. It's easy to believe in something and have optimism when you are young-it's harder to choose something when you have seen the consequences of an absence and a young heart that has been broken apart.

'Luke, how is he? I haven't seen him since that concert and well he sounded weird on the phone. He didn't want me to come home, but after seeing you guys in New York. I knew I never really had a choice in the matter'.

'Haley no one is upset that you have come home ok-We all wanted you back and yeah it will be hard seeing everyone again-but you have me and you have Brooke. Nathan is hurting right now, but I think in time he will be just fine' He pressed a kiss to her temple and it felt like lightning had struck his core, she felt her heart spike in her chest, just one touch from him and she felt herself go weak in the knees. Haley knew then that all the choices she had made in her life had led her to this point, she had a Luke in her arms promising her all sorts of things and somehow it gave her the strength she didn't know she needed in order for her to face Nathan and ultimately face the music.

'Luke I need to go see him, can you come with me-I don't know if he will want to be alone with me considering how we left things'. Luke nodded his head and held her hand inside his own, it felt right somehow and he wondered when his feelings had changed from friendly to I could take you home right now. He quietened his voice of reason and just held her hand, she sunk into his side and he wrapped his arm around her shoulder-he let her hand go and felt her relax in his embrace.

They stood outside his room and Haley took a deep breath, she felt Luke stroke her arm and murmur comforting words. She bolstered her resolve and pushed the door open, he lay on his back propped up by cushions, rap music was playing softly in the background and Peyton was sketching him. Her eyes widened when she saw Haley standing there, she was in shock-she was the last person she expected to see standing in the doorway.

'Haley, you're back'. Peyton stood up and crossed the room; she hugged her friend even though she was still a little mad at her for having been gone for so long. She pushed this aside as she felt her friend cling to her for dear life and comfort.

'It's great to see you Peyton' Haley meant what she had said and she was relieved that at least for now they could put aside their differences and just be there for Nathan.

'Haley…' Nate looked at his wife and knew his decision had been the right one, he loved her he always would-but he wasn't in love with her anymore-or so he kept telling himself. Seeing her didn't make his heart ache, he had to steel himself mentally and emotionally to deal with this, he ached for her in a different way but no less powerful.

She had been his greatest best mistake, she had taught him how to love like you should love but somewhere along the way they had both grown into different people and he knew that he would be divorced soon. He hoped they could still remain friends, he still wanted her in his life, she was a beautiful person inside and out and even though they had both been too selfish to make it work he still wanted to joke around with her and see that smile of hers. He opened his arms wide and she walked quietly over to his bedside, she sat next to him and wrapped her arms around her husband. It sounded weird in her head and she no longer fit in his life as his wife, but she would always treasure who they had been to one another. Nate had been taught from a young age to hide your desires beneath a veil of bravado; he never wore who he was on his sleeve. Dan had given him this from an early age and Haley had been the only one to break through all the smoke and mirrors and see the real Nate. He didn't know if he was ever going to be enough for her, he didn't really know what he wanted; he was in pain and not just from the accident.

Haley had been loved and although the fire of their relationship had burned brightly it had a spectacular meltdown, they were too young and it was obvious that a commitment for life was asking a lot of a couple of kids. She stroked the back of his head and pressed a goodbye kiss to his lips. It was sweet and innocent and made both of them a little sad, but she smiled and said she was glad he was going to be ok. Luke and Peyton left them alone to talk it out and went and had some coffee. Peyton had looked at Luke and knew that whatever had been between them was gone, a distant memory of two people that had fought for something that had ruined too many relationships and in the end been too complicated.

She was in love with the idea of them rather than the reality and when she told this to Luke he smiled and said she had voiced the same thing he felt in his heart. They could have been great, they could have been something-but it was too hard and they were both too stubborn to see if it could work. Peyton wasn't ready to lose Brooke as a friend and Luke wasn't sure he could push aside his newfound feelings for Haley to pursue the broody blonde. A huge part of him wanted the challenge to see if they still had it there but a bigger part of him was saying let sleeping dogs lie. He chose to leave it for now and see where the wind took him, he didn't know if he was in love with Haley or if it was concern and hope that she would stay.

Luke never really knew how he felt until the last possible worst moment and he always seemed to make a mess of things, he would see Haley through her divorce and be there for her as a friend and if anything developed between them-they could deal with it as and when it happened.

Haley and Nathan talked about everything and it was a little sad and heart breaking the ending of something was always hard. They both cried and smiled through the tears, letting go was never easy and it was the culmination of too many mistakes that could never be fully rectified that solidified the decision, they parted on good terms and Haley felt a piece of herself tear away. It was the loss of innocence and a shared knowledge that had they waited they may have just made it, but they were too young and too old of heart to go back and fix the mistakes of youth. Haley left with a mark on her soul and lead in her feet, it just seemed to get harder the further she got from who she had been.

Haley found Luke in the waiting room, he was comforting Peyton and they were talking in low voices. He stood up as she entered the room, they said goodbye to Peyton and left the hospital. The drive back to Luke's was in silence neither of them trusting themselves to speak about the weird vibe that had sprung up between them. She shouldered her bag and they went inside, Karen was working at the café and Brooke had flown to California to see her parents. She was trying to catch a flight home so that she could be with her friends, she had called and Luke needed to pick her up later from the airport. He left Haley after they had some food and promised he would be back soon. She lay down on his bed and took a nap she was emotionally drained and her heart was all over the place.

Brooke would be a whirlwind when she got back and she didn't know how well she was going to cope with the barrage of questions sure to come her way. Sleep overtook her and she dreamed of Nate and her in happy times, she felt secure in the knowledge that they were meant to be together maybe she had been wrong in giving up on them. It took being home for Haley to realize that sometimes decisions made in the wake of terrible accidents and misunderstandings could only add to the colossal disappoint she felt in not being able to make her marriage work. It was a startling revelation that left her reeling long after she woke up, she needed to talk with Nathan and see if they could move forward, they would never be the idealistic couple they had been but maybe they could be so much more than that. She knew what she felt for Luke was residual feelings left over from the fallout with Nathan, because even though she hadn't come back for him-her heart still resided snugly with Nate and she really didn't know what she was going to do.

It was all a big ugly mess that only got worse the more time she spent at home, Luke was confusing her-her marriage was tearing her apart and being home didn't feel like home anymore. She had grown up here but had never felt more removed from everything and everyone. Confronting old and new demons was never easy, but that little time spent with Nate had served a purpose, she would fight for them. She wanted a child with him; she could see it in her mind's eye. Besides no one really believed that Luke and Peyton were over for good, there was always something there between them simmering beneath the surface whether they chose to acknowledge it or not. They ignored it and broke three hearts in the process maybe it was time for everyone to let go of all the pain and just be happy-be with the person who put fire in their soul and made everything just that little bit more bearable and beautiful.

It was a long road to recovery; time would need to be spent rehashing all the existing problems and seeing a way through it. It wouldn't be easy and there was no magic fix it all formula but they had to try-otherwise what was the point. She needed to Luke and establish some sort of common ground, she knew given the opportunity he would fall back into a relationship with Brooke, because she couldn't destroy him the same way Peyton could-if they weren't meant to be then there was no hope for Haley and Nate. Luke and Peyton were fated, they had a destiny to fulfil and if you looked at it realistically they would end up together anyway. Luke had never been faithful to Brooke-you don't ever really fall out of love with someone you just force yourself to believe that you do-because the alternative is pretty devastating.

Peyton still looked at Luke the same way she had after the accident and she saw that the look he held in his eye may have been for Haley and the spark they felt when they touched was each of them denying themselves what they truly wanted. It was two hearts forcing a bond that had always been there and could be easily mistaken for something more, she didn't love Luke like that and it took almost losing Nathan to realize that-she was a fool for that man and she always would be.

Brooke came back and as predicted was a total whirlwind of activity and questions, they sat and talked and it felt like old times. Their friendship was easy and full of laughter and stories, Brooke made everything seem possible-she was a great friend and she seemed to have mended that heart of hers in the time she had spent apart from everyone. She had met a boy whilst she spent her summer in California-he had been good for her, they had learnt from one another. H was coming to see her in a few months; he was a year older and graduated from high school a year earlier. He was different, he let her be herself and she opened up to him, he was smart and passionate and handsome. He was exactly what Brooke had needed in order to come back whole and ready to face the drama that was Tree Hill.

Peyton called by and welcomed home her best friend; Luke looked at her and wondered if they had been too hasty in disregarding their feelings. She still took his breath away and he began to ponder if what he had been feeling for Haley was residual feelings for the girl who had stolen his heart at the tender age of thirteen when he barely knew what love was, he just knew he felt an overwhelming need to get to know her and be with her.

'B Davis how was California?'

'It was everything I imagined it would be, Bitchtoria fought non-stop with my father, I took over the beach house and left them in the house in the Canyons. I met a boy who will be coming down here to see me in a month and I flew back early to see how Nate was doing. I'll go see him tomorrow with Haley' Brooke enveloped her best friend in a hug, even though everything was different and she no longer harboured feelings for Luke she really needed to talk to Peyton and let her know that she could act on her feelings without feeling any guilt. It was their time to be together, like it really should have been all along. It was puppy love, it was two people desperately trying to find their way and seeking shelter in the arms of a person they thought could make sense of the madness. They both realized too late that neither one of them could make any sense of any of it. By being together they were just prolonging the inevitable.

Luke never really let Brooke all the way in and she never really forgave him for betraying her in the first place, it took a summer of clarity and a car accident for Brooke to realize that life was too short to be with the wrong person. It was time to forgive old hurts and move on, she had mended herself and spent the summer away not missing her friends but getting back to the girl she had been before all the heartache had set in.

'Luke can I talk to you for a sec?' Brooke and Haley had taken a seat on the back porch and were sipping some wine Brooke had brought back with her. A silence had descended over Luke and Peyton when those two had stood up and announced they wanted some one on one time. Peyton grasped his hand scribbled a quick note to Brooke and Haley and pulled Luke out the front door. She drove to the Rivercourt and decided that enough was enough she needed to know if they had something worth salvaging. It was now or never, she walked toward where he stood staring out at the lake.


	2. Because It Was Always You

**Chapter 2, Because It Was Always You**

'Luke, I need to ask you something?' He turned to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, it felt natural to have her pressed up against him and he pressed a light kiss to the side of her head. He inhaled her scent and it was a little like the inevitable and coming home all at the same time.

'I still love you Lucas….' Peyton breathed the last part out, so it was more like a whisper than a statement or declaration. He looked into her beautiful green eyes, he saw her nervousness and the hope she held close but let him glimpse.

'I love you too Peyton'

'You don't get it. I'm in love with you. I have been since the moment we locked eyes, and maybe even before that. You just needed to hear it, because after our chat in the cafeteria all I could think about was how I had told maybe the biggest lie in order to protect myself from getting hurt'

'Peyton I'm in love with you too, I don't really think I ever stopped loving you. It just got too big and scary and a lot like it couldn't work. I chose Brooke because I knew she would never hurt me the way you can. With you it's all or nothing. I want everything with you, but only if you want it to' He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, he had laid himself bare, he had told her the truth behind his relationship with Brooke and now the ball was firmly in her court to do with it what she wanted.

She crashed her lips against his and felt him smile into her embrace, he gripped her hips and she clutched his collar a little tighter. It felt like the first time they kissed, it was familiar, exciting but most of all it was two hearts finally finding their way back and knowing with certainty that this was it, there would never be another person for them. He buried his hands deep in her curls and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He led them over to the bleachers and she straddled his hips pressing herself into him and moaning into his mouth as they kissed. His hands snaked under her top and she gasped as he glided them lightly over her stomach. He could make her feel like the only person that existed with one simple touch.

'Luke, babe stop. Let's go to my place and talk and kiss awhile'

'I thought you'd never ask' He picked her up and she squealed, he twirled her in his arms as he spun them around and she kissed him because it was underneath a full moon and it was the first moment when she felt that it didn't matter what had happened before, it was just a him and a her and sky so beautiful it felt wrong not to kiss underneath it.

They drive back was short and as she approached her front door he caught her hand and pressed a kiss to the inside of her wrist, just letting her know that he didn't expect anything and he would stay as long as she would have him. She pulled him closer and kissed him, he pressed her up against her front door and she turned the handle they stumbled into the lobby and kissed their way up the stairs. They paused at the top of the staircase and he lay her down gently kissing wet open mouthed kisses to her torso, she raked her fingers down his back and then mewled low in her throat as he palmed her breasts from underneath her top.

They made it to the bedroom several minutes later and minus a few articles of clothing. Some might say it was sudden and too soon, but it was Luke and Peyton they never did things in the right order and they certainly weren't going to start now.

He pressed her back against the bed and kissed her lips; she nibbled his bottom lip and tugged on his belt loop. He smiled and looked down at her, her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were full of love and lust, she wanted him just as much as he wanted her, but they still needed to have a conversation and if they went straight for sex it would make talking about what they were that much harder. He could barely keep his hands off her when they were friends, fucking forget it if they did that. He would be too far-gone to be coherent. She was intoxicating and he had fallen for her hard, he would never quite be the same once they fully ignited the fire of their shared love.

'Stop, wait-Peyt I want you so much but there's a conversation we need to have about us and what's happening here. I can't have another last year, we need to be honest and open no more lies or secrets. The reward is that we get to be as loving as we like in public and everyone else just deals with it' She smirked at him and pushed him slowly off her. She sat back against the headboard and he scooted closer and pulled her legs over his lap. He wanted to run his hands down her legs and have this conversation, he just wanted to touch her and this was a fail safe way of ensuring they didn't get too carried away. He would behave himself; she kissed him sweetly on the lips and told him she would tell Brooke about them tomorrow. It was time to start behaving like adults and honesty had to be a priority this time around; she wouldn't keep this a secret and hurt Brooke.

Flashback

He gripped her hips a little tighter and she clutched his collar, his lips lightly brushed against hers and it was a heady mix of lust, want, love and hope. He was that little extra, his smile became hers-her forehead lent against hers and it was like standing underneath a perfect sky-stars twinkling and the lake shimmering. It was a sunset and a sunrise-but most of all it was the start of something they both didn't know that they were looking for, that's the beauty of a first love-it creeps up on you and takes your breath away. It's stolen kisses and knowing glances.

It was hand holding and breathing each other in. But most of all, it's knowing that person is who they are because of you. Luke stared into her eyes and lost of piece of himself that day, it took flight and landed somewhere in the depth of her heart, he had given it freely and felt like it was the greatest gift you could ever give someone. It was the forever love that would soon turn into the forbidden love that would quickly come to an end as loyalties were tested and hearts were broken. It was the end of something; it felt like the end of everything. He kissed her goodbye on that day at the Rivercourt and he knew that one day he would be walking back toward her ready to make new memories that weren't tainted with the undercurrent of betrayal and cheating hearts.

'Peyton, you seemed miles away are you ok?' He looked at her with concern and she shook her head to rid her mind of those memories.

'Yeah, I'm fine. I was just remembering that night at the Rivercourt. Do you remember? I felt like my heart was breaking in two. Nothing was the same after that, I tried to move on so many times but it always came back to you. It was always you. I tried so hard to just bury everything but I knew I never really could' She wiped the tears that were falling down her face and looked up through her tear stained lashes at Luke. He was looking at her with an ache in his soul for ever having made her feel unworthy of their love.

'I know I've made mistakes, but I'm so in love with you-it scares me because I know that without you I'm nothing. I can't not be with you. I'll wait for you, as long as it takes I'll be right here hoping we get that second chance-because we deserve it. I want everything with you Peyt. But I'll wait for you, I won't run away this time-it's you-it always comes back to you' She looked at him and saw her soul splintering through his, she was so in love with this scrawny boy who had turned her life upside down and she knew then and there this was forever, there was no turning back. It wasn't going to be easy and they would drive each other crazy but she didn't want anyone else to love and fight with, she saw herself being the mother to his children and she had never felt happier about that.

She kissed him, it was promise of forever, and a declaration of love and a silent plea to him that they shouldn't ignore what their hearts had told them all along. They were meant for each other and everything else that had tried to pull them apart had just been leading them back to one another. It started and ended with them as an us, they just didn't work apart.

He kissed her back and felt his desire for her grow, she was so beautiful even when she had been crying, and he ached for her. He tangled his hands in her curls and pulled her on top of him, they sank back into the sheets and she ran her hands up his toned torso, she placed tender kisses over his bellybutton and felt him twitch and moan in pleasure. She smiled up at him and saw him grin back at her; they were right where they should have been all along.

She dragged her body closer to him and sat astride him, she kissed him long and slow and then whispered that she wanted to wait and make it really special. He just smiled and said he would do anything for her.

She rested her head in the space between his shoulder and his side and placed her hand over his racing heart, they were both topless and the friction was indescribable but she didn't want to rush this, she wanted to savour the moment and do it right. She tangled herself up in him and pressed a lingering a kiss to his lips, he pulled her closer and then they both murmured a sweet I love you. She melted in his arms and fell asleep listening to the steady beat of his heart. It was like coming home and finding that everything was so much better than when you had left. The dawn light peeked through a chink in her blinds, she stirred awake and felt his arms wrapped protectively around her, it hadn't been a beautiful dream, it was an amazing reality. She kissed him and settled back down into his arms. He was adorable; he had kissed her back and then tightened his hold on her afraid to let her go in case she had been a mirage.

'Well I wonder what those two got up to?'

'Make up sex' Haley playfully shoved Brooke.

'What, you know it's true, those two getting it on was only a matter of time. They were always meant to be-just like you and Nate-despite your best efforts to fight the inevitable. Nate is who you are meant to share your life with-he knows and pretty soon you will too'. Brooke hugged Haley and didn't let her rebuke any of her statements. Truth was, Haley knew it too, she was just afraid that he might think it really was over between them. They were young and their hearts were fragile they could be broken and torn apart, it really didn't take much. Haley had thought about him all the time when she was away, she may have left but her heart stayed with him and she knew that no matter what happened she would need to tell him this. Nathan needed to realize that what they had was worth fighting for with every last breath.

Haley slipped out in the quiet dawn light, she left a note for Brooke telling her that she was going to spend some time on her own and then go and see Nate. She went down to the dock and sat at the bench where he had given her a crackerjack bracelet and unknowingly started the beginning of two hearts making promises to one another. She cried for the woman she had been and the one she had grown into, she was older and wiser now and she could never go back to the innocence of her youth where it all seemed a lot easier and a lot less heart breaking.

The sun came up and Haley sat there familiarising herself with the pace of life back home, it was a lot slower and there was less pressure on her. It was a good feeling to be sat by herself without managers scurrying around underfoot asking her if she was ready and when she wanted to do an interview. Yes, coming home had been the right choice to make, she was still a kid, and she could chase her dreams from home. Right now she was trying to repair her greatest dream-it was a work in progress.

Haley walked along the boardwalk, she carried her past with her but she knew it was time to lay those ghosts to rest, it was time to forge a new path and find the happiness she'd had before. When all was said and done this vision of who she wanted to be when she was with him was almost in her grasp. It would take time and it wouldn't be easy, but in the end it would all be worth it.

She got to the hospital just as the sun was peaking low in the sky, it cast a bright glow on the pavement and she looked up and felt a smile grace the corners of her lips. Today felt like it would be a good day. She didn't know how or why, but today was where she told Nate how she really felt and they would need to figure it out between them. Brooke had spent the hour with Nate she had cheered him up with all her crazy tales of fun in Los Angeles, she had been the breath of fresh air after the storm of seeing Haley had left him feeling wanting.

'Hey Haley, Nate's in a good mood and I have to run. I gotta go call my boy and maybe catch up with the two brooding lovebirds. We'll call you later, good luck tutor girl-somehow I don't think you'll be needing it, that boy is a fool for you. Anyone can see that'

'Thanks Brooke, I'll call you later' They hugged and then Brooke skipped off to her car and drove back to her house, she lay by the pool and flirted with her boy who felt a million miles away but was actually packing a bag to come and surprise her. He would get there later on that day and was only on the phone for a little while before he hung up citing a lame excuse about needing to meet with his career advisor. Brooke hung up and sipped her cocktail, she had gotten used to the LA lifestyle, cocktails by the pool sounded decent to her. Besides what else was there to do on a Saturday when you were this young and good looking, Brooke felt like she didn't owe anyone an explanation it was what it was, she wouldn't make excuses for it. She sent Peyton a text telling her to join her at her house and bring Broody. Peyton had gotten the text as she was lying in his arms and she had smiled as she read it, she quickly tapped out a reply and then told him they had to go and see Brooke-before she got too drunk on her own.

Haley stepped into the hospital and made her way to Nathan's room, she hated the antiseptic smell that lingered in the air and pervaded everything. She nervously shuffled her feet down the corridor and pushed open his door, he looked surprised to see her.

'Haley what are you doing here so early?'

'It's midday Nate' Time didn't mean that much when you had been given painkillers all morning, each hour just blurred into the next, he found it difficult to focus his thoughts. But he had a sense of clarity despite the haze, he loved her-it didn't matter how or why but he knew that this couldn't be the end for them. There was still so much of their story left to tell, he wanted first kisses with her again. He wanted her watching him play basketball, he could see her cheering him from the stands, he wanted her in his arms after he won a game and he couldn't imagine a life without her somehow playing a role.

Hasty decisions made in pain and heartache were often wrong, it would be a bigger mistake to follow through with the divorce. It took a stronger person to admit their mistakes and ask that they be forgiven, Nate had within him to ask for forgiveness they had both made mistakes. He shouldn't have given her an ultimatum he knew she would never have done the same when it came to his playing basketball-she would have told him to follow his heart and that she would be waiting for him.

Suddenly it didn't feel like the longest day, it felt a little bit like a moment of clarity, he lay suspended in thought dreaming of a future and hoping they could put the past behind them. Sometimes the hardest thing we do is let someone go so that they can come back to you, it felt like a weight had been lifted. Haley had come back to him, she had been out chasing her dreams but what he didn't know is that she had left her most important dream behind. Nate was always on her mind even when she sang in front of thousands of people, she was always hoping that somehow she could repair the damage done to her marriage and come home and make a new one with Nate.

Haley sat on his bed and held his hand, she took a deep breath and watched his eyes darken with concern he looked scared of what she might say but there was love there too.

'I love you Nate, I don't want us to get a divorce' He pulled her in for a kiss and breathed her in.

'I don't want a divorce either'. They sat like that for a while, not saying a word but somehow saying a lot. It felt right and comfortable, he looked at her and knew there was a long road ahead but they would make it. She had hope in her heart again, she was his and he was hers and they were always and forever. Those vows meant more than just he sum of the words, they were everything, they meant them even now. Despite all the pain and heartache, they still marched to the beat of each other's drums and it was supposed to be this way. Getting back to who they were before all this was never going to happen but maybe they could get to a better place where they could just love each other and stop all the hurt once and for all.


End file.
